Serving Cornell Centre

Markham District Energy’s second district energy system serves Markham Stouffville Hospital and the area surrounding the hospital known as Cornell Centre.

Located just northeast of Highway 7 and Ninth Line, Cornell is an award-winning planned community development designed in the mid-1990s according to principles of new urbanism. Covering 250 acres, Cornell Centre is intended to be a high-density, mixed-use community with a retail core. When fully developed, it will be home to over 10,000 residents and 10,000 employees with over 10 million square feet of residential, commercial and institutional buildings.

In 2007, Markham Stouffville Hospital received provincial approval to expand its facility. With the hospital’s original heating, cooling and emergency power assets nearing end of life, the pending expansion along with the planned community development of Cornell Centre provided Markham District Energy with the perfect opportunity to consider a second district energy system.

Rolling forward to 2012, Markham District Energy completed construction of the Bur Oak Energy Centre and commenced operations to its first customers totaling over 1 million square feet with Markham Stouffville Hospital as the system’s anchor load. Markham District Energy’s Cornell Centre customers are highlighted below.

Markham Stouffville Hospital

This 705,350 sq. ft. regional hospital employs 2,100 physicians and staff. MDE signed a 30 year agreement with the hospital to supply 100% of the hospital’s steam, hot water, chilled water, emergency power and primary power. In addition to emergency power from a 5 MW diesel generator plant, the hospital will be served by a 4 MW natural gas combined heat and power installation.

Cornell Community Centre & Library

Constructed immediately adjacent to the hospital, this 153,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art community centre is owned by the City of Markham. Combined with the hospital facility, the community centre creates a significant “wellness campus” supported by district energy.

Markham Fire Station 99

Markham’s 11,000 sq. ft. Fire Station 99 facility is constructed adjacent to the hospital and community centre providing it with the unique opportunity to receive district energy service.